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Barrett's Story
"Barrett's Story" is the fifth and last aired short of The Bremen Avenue Experience, following "Tanner's Story." It originally aired on Cartoon Network in-between programs on June 2, 2008. The short features Barrett, Simon, Jessica, and Tanner. = Plot Barrett issues instructions as to his new song which the rest of the band find incomprehensible; he simplifies these to "just play where it sounds right." He begins playing a ballad-style song, while singing in a cheesy Cockney accent ("Loife always gets yeou daown when you're livin' heah..."). When the band object, he explains that "a lot of classic rock music came from England." Simon argues for a "new," more obviously rocking sound, and Jessica suggests that they combine the two. Tanner starts the band off ("Foive - Six - Savan - Ite!"), and he, Simon, and Jessica launch into a song, "London Town," which is crammed full of stereotypical examples of English life; Barrett, when called upon to join in, is left speechless. The short ends with Tanner offering Barrett a "crumb pet," and the exasperated Barrett correcting him. London Town Tanner in a Cockney accent: 5 - 6 - 7 - 8! Simon: Across the Pond in London town, Where blokes are blokes and birds wear gowns And Big Ben's hands go 'round and 'round Tanner: (I've seen it on the telly!) Jessica: The lifts go up, the lifts go down, And people come from miles around To see the Queen make funny sounds--'' '''Tanner:' When she eats chips in jelly! Simon: They call the soccer "football" there, Or so the story goes... Jessica: And Shakespeare's plays are all the rage! Tanner: They're cheering in the rows! spoken: Take it, Barrett! gulps. Simon, Jessica, Tanner: Across the Pond in London town, They don't use dollars; they use pounds. Their clothing comes in shades of brown --'' ''Galoshes are called "wellies" --'' ''Their pudding's in their bellies O-ver in London town! spoken: Hey! Trivia * When Barrett tells Simon and Jessica “this is in G,” he means that the song they are about to play will be in the key signature of G major. * Barrett starts his song in a stereotypical Cockney accent. Later, Tanner does the same for "London Town." * The Beatles and The Stones are two of the most famous rock bands of all time; both originated in the United Kingdom. * “Phat” is hip-hop slang for "great, excellent," first recorded in 1992, and originating perhaps in the late 1980s. "Phat beats" refer to the drum-heavy rhythmical sound typical of hip-hop music. * A “power chord” is a chord consisting of the root note and its fifth, commonly played on electric guitars, which is a key element of heavy metal music. It's worth noting that neither of Simon's suggestions are at all unusual for rock music, despite his claim to be looking for a "new sound." * Tanner mentions a "Krump band," in reference to Krumping, a style of African-American street dancing. * Tanner says "crumb pet" instead of “crumpet,” a kind of small, thick pancake that is a staple of British meals. * The “London Town” video includes references to several icons of British culture: ** “The Pond” refers to the Atlantic Ocean, especially as separating Great Britain from North America. ** “Blokes” is the British equivalent of “guys”; “birds” is slang for “girls.” **Two members of the Foot Guards (familiar as the guards of Buckingham Palace) are shown in their characteristic bearskins. ** “Big Ben” is name of the bell in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, the home of the British Parliament; Simon makes the common mistake of referring it to the clock or the tower itself. ** “Telly” is British slang for “television.” ** A “lift” is the British word for an “elevator.” ** Simon and Tanner are seen standing in a British Police box, used as the “TARDIS”on the popular English program Doctor Who; a Dalek, an iconic alien from the same show, stands nearby. ** Simon wears glasses and carries a broom à la Harry Potter; both he and Tanner wear the long scarves characteristic of Hogwarts students in the film versions. ** Simon stands outside Buckingham Palace dressed as Queen Elizabeth II. ** “Chips” are the British equivalent of American French fries, slices of potato cut into thick wedges and fried. They are never eaten in “Jelly,” which is the British word for what U.S. citizens generally call by the proprietary name “Jell-O.” ** “Football” does, as Simon points out, generally refer in British English to the sport which the U.S.A. calls “soccer,” though the latter name is used in Britain, too. What the U.S. calls “football,” the British call “American football.” ** William Shakespeare is, of course, the most famous British dramatist. ** Barrett appears in front of a (discolored) U.K. Union Jack (or “Union Flag”). **Barrett appears as Wallace from the popular British Wallace & Gromit cartoons. ** Simon appears as Tim from the British version of The Office; Jessica may be either Dawn or Jennifer. ** The Pound sterling (£) is the basic British unit of currency, as the dollar ($) is for North American currencies. ** Because of the coldness and wetness of the British climate, heavy cloths such as tweed, which does generally come in “shades of brown,” are commonly worn. ** The giant stamping foot was a continual feature (particularly in the introduction) of the British comedy series, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. ** The band members are seen on a zebra crossing in the style of the iconic cover of the Abbey Road album by the most famous British band, The Beatles. Tanner is dressed as a stereotypically helmeted English constable, while the others wear stereotypical British clothing. ** “Wellies” is British slang for “Wellingtons,” originally a type of military boot named after British war-hero Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, but now referring to rain-boots, like American “galoshes.” ** Puddings in Britain may be either sweet or savory, and form a much more common staple of meals than in the United States, where they are commonly restricted to desserts. Gallery The Bremen Avenue Experience – Barrett’s Story – Barrett as Wallace.png Category:Wedgies Category:Episodes of Wedgies Category:Episodes of The Bremen Avenue Experience